DIFFERENT PATHS
By: Lauren and Julia

Part Six
By: Lauren

Harry could tell something was up when he saw Tom storm into his quarters
three hours before duty shifts ended. He debated on whether he should go after
him or not, and decided to do it. He hit the door chimes, and waiting for a
response.

"Go away, B'Elanna." he called out. Harry sighed, he figured it was something
involving either Scott or B'Elanna.

"Tom, it's me." Harry called back to him. There was silence, then a few
seconds later, the door opened, and Tom was standing in the doorway, looking
out of breath.

"What the hell do you want?" Tom asked. Harry stepped in, and Tom went to his
couch, where he layed back and closed his eyes.

"What happened?" Harry asked as he sat down beside Tom.

Tom stood up, and picked up a PADD from his table, which he threw against the
wall in rage. 

"Scott and B'Elanna, huh?" Harry said. Tom gave him a glare almost like the
one he'd given to Scott. Then, his face seemed to crumple, like he was about
to cry, and he fell back onto the couch.

"They're going to have a baby, Harry." Tom told him, his voice choked, "That
weird, creepy guy is going to make B'Elanna a mother when it should have been
me."

"Weird and creepy? Tom, Scott's a normal guy." 

"I hate him, Harry. He took B'Elanna from me. I hate everything about him.
That hair, that weird accent, the fact that everyone onboard the ship thinks
he's weird!" Tom exclaimed as he stood up and began pacing.

"What are you talking about?" 

"He's weird, Harry! I mean, the guy never leaves his quarters, he never goes
to the holodeck, never even hardly talks to anyone... until now."

"Tom, what is the matter with you? Can't you accept the fact that B'Elanna is
with someone and is happy?"

"No, I can't. I can't stand to see her with someone else, Harry. I go to the
mess hall, they're there having dinner together. I go to the holodeck, they're
there. They're always working together in engineering. I'm sick of it!" Tom
exclaimed. Harry sighed. This was getting to be an everyday thing, he was
always stuck in the middle of this love triangle. He wanted things back the
way they were, when he, Tom, and B'Elanna were the best of friends, always
together.

*

After listening to Tom's rantings for awhile longer, Harry decided to grab
something to eat before he headed to the night shift on the bridge. 

"Have you heard?" Scott called out from behind him. Harry turned to him to see
Scott looking happier than he'd ever been before.

"Yeah, congratulations!" Harry exclaimed as he gave Scott a pat on the
shoulder. He was happy for the two of them, even after listening to Tom. 

"You know, you're the first person to say that to us." Scott informed him as
they grabbed their trays and headed to a table. 

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think people like B'Elanna and I together." Scott sighed. 

"Well, I'm happy for you guys. You know that." Harry informed him. Scott
smiled.

"Thanks, Harry. That means a lot right now." 

"How's B'Elanna doing?" Harry asked.

"She's in our quarters, resting, she's got a few days off. She forced me here
so that she could have some time to herself." Scott laughed, "But she's
excited. She doesn't show it, but I can tell that she is."

*

B'Elanna laid awake in bed, watching Scott sleep. He was such a sound sleeper,
he would never know that she was playing with his hair. She knew she should be
sleeping, too, but after resting all day, she was wide awake now. She smiled
as Scott stirred slightly when she accidentally pulled his hair. She loved him
so much. He was so different from Tom, and she liked that. She still had a
place in her heart for Tom, but now she had Scott. There was so much to admire
about Scott. She loved his hair, how it was longer than most of the womens' on
the ship. She loved the fact that people thought he was strange. It gave her a
weird feeling to know that she was living with the strange engineer. She loved
how their quarters were littered with his paintings. She loved how, with his
accent that he described as being a result of an Irish mother, and Scottish
father, but growing up in England, that her name came out as "Belle Anna". 

She loved the fact that they would be parents.

TO BE CONTINUED

You know the drill. Paramount owns them ('cept Scott), we borrow them, we made
Scott *hides from the boos echoing all around her*

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